Store apparatus



Nov. 20, 1923. 1,475,149 E. E. SMITH STORE APPARATUS filed Feb. 14 19232 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 20, 1923. 1,475,149

E. E. SMITH STORE APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1923- 2 Sheets-Sheet 3WITNESS:

Patented Nov. 729, i923.

EDWARD E. SMITH, OF EL PASO, TEXAS sronn arrnna'rus. i

7 Application filed February 14, 1923. sci-m1 'No. 618,993.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Enwnnn E. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at El Paso, in the county of ElPaso and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvementsin'Store Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to store apparatus and has for its object theprovision of a store construction, arrangement or system in which themerchandise is stored upon a plurality of shelves arranged in tiers, theshelves being furthermore disposed in concentric series to define anannular space within which is 10- I cated a rotatably mounted wheel uponwhich the clerk or salesman stands so that he will be carried by thewheel between the series of shelves and be able to reach down thedesired articles and place them within a box or other receptacle,likewise disposed on the wheel.

Another object is the provision of an apparatus of this character inwhich the wheel may be driven byan electric motor or other mechanicalmeans within control of the oporator riding onthe wheel, or in whichpropulsion of the wheel or moving platform may be effected manually bypulling upon a hand rail or the like suitably mounted at some desiredheight along the shelf.

An additional object is the provision of an apparatus of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install, a greattime and labor saver and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and ad vantages in view the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illus trated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete device,

Figure 2 is a vertical section,

Figure 3 is a detail view showing transmission means for driving thewheel and Figure 4 is a detail view of a control means operable by theclerk or salesman.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown the apparatusas consisting of inner and outer shelving 10 and 11 respectively whichmay be built in any de sired manner and which may be of any size andmaterial. There may also be any de sired number of shelves 12 in eachseries and these shelves may be of ordinary or plain construction orsome of'them may be of 'ped at will.

while, if desired, some of them may be constructed either as or to holdbins. The two series of shelving are spaced apart as shown to define anannular or circular space 13.

Rising from the floor and mounted in a suitable bearing 14 thereon is avertical shaft or standard 15 which has its upper end our naled in asuitable bearing 16 mounted on the ceiling. Radiating from this shaft orstandard are upwardly and outwardly inclined bars 17 braced by otherbars or rods 18 and constituting a species of spoke construction.Depending from the outer ends of these spoke members are uprights 19which have their lower ends carrying a circular platform or wheel 20which is located between the outer and inner series of shelves, At somepoint the outer series of shelves must be interrupted to provide anentrance opening 21 through which the salesman may pass when steppingonto the rotary platform or wheel. A convenient arrangement would be touse the space within the inner series of shelves for storage purposes,that is for reserve stock so that the supply of articles on the shelvesmay be readily replenished from time to time and a very neat arrangementis to provide a hingedly mounted section 22 in the inner series ofshelving to constitute a door giving access to the inside or storagecompartment.

It is of course conceivable that a hand rail 23 may be providedsupported from either series of shelves so that the salesman may graspthis rail and'pull the rotary platform or wheel along as desired whilehe selects from the shelves the various articles desired to fill theparticular order.

It would however be advisable to provide an electric motor 24 having asuitable gear connection with either the shaft 15' or preferably withthe inner or outer periphery or underside of the rotating platform forthe purpose of furnishing power to drive the wheel. It would of coursebe essential to provide a conventional control 25 at the operatorsstation or at a plurality of points on the wheel so that the motor andconsequently the wheel may be started and stop- It is likewiseconceivable that a further modified drive means may be provided. 7

In the use of the device the salesman steps upon the platform and eitheroperates the motor or whatever means may be provided for effectingrotation of the platform so that the salesman will be carried aroundbetween the inner and outer series of shelves. This will enable him tomake his selection from the merchandise on the shelves in accordance.with the orders of a customer, the various articles being taken at thedifferent places and deposited within a basket, box or other receptacleif preferred until the entire order is filled upon which the salesmanoperates the device to carry him to the entrance 21 so that he may thenstep down with the filled order. In case of a self service store it isto be noted that the customer may stand upon the platform and in casethe same is stationary walk there along to the desired points where hemay reach the articles of merchandise he wishes to purchase; or thecustomers might be permitted to go, one at a time on the platform andoperate the same so as to reach the desired articles. The space withinthe rotary device is intended for the storage of reserve supplies whichare intended for the purpose of replenishing the supplies on the shelveswhen they become exhausted.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simple, inexpensive and easilyconstructed and installed store service apparatus which will be unique,attractive and a great time and labor saver.

hile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve theright tomake such changes 1n the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

l. A store apparatus comprising outer and inner series of shelvingspaced apart to define a circular passage, said shelving being designedto carrying commodities on sale, and a wheel like rotary platformdesigned to support the salesman and traveling in the space between theshelving.

2. A store apparatus comprising an outer and an inner series of shelvesspaced apart to define a circular passage and adapted to supportcommodities on sale, a shaft located at the center of the series ofshelves, and a wheel like platform supported from said shaft and movablewithin said circular passage.

3. A store apparatus comprising an outer and an inner series of shelvesspaced apart to define a circular passage and adapted to supportcommodities on sale, a shaft located at the center of the series ofshelves, and a wheelrlike platform supported from said shaft andmovable. within said circular passage, and means for rotating the shaftand wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD E. SMITH.

